My Favourite Things – January 2016

It’s time for the January edition of “My Favourite Things”. A linkup hosted by Raisa and Eirene where you post about something you enjoyed in the previous month.

January was definitely the month of gadgets for me and I had fun learning how to use them all.

Google Nexus 5x Phone
I finally made the decision to buy a new phone late last year. I was really looking forward to the Nexus 5x but when it came out I wasn’t really impressed with the price. For a low to middle range phone it had a too high price ($739AUD) so I looked into other devices for a while. Ultimately, had it been available in Australia, I would have bought the Oneplus X (and I recommend it if you’re looking for a cheaper, nice looking phone) but it wasn’t so I bit the bullet and bought the Nexus 5x… but when it was on sale. Now that I have it I actually really like it. The fingerprint scanner is fun but takes some getting used to and the phone is SO LIGHT, I feel like it’s going to blow away on a windy day. And one plus is the camera is really great for a phone so it’s been fun taking photos of everything!

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
Technically I got this in December as a Christmas present from Jarrod (check out his video review on it above) but I mostly used it in January. I am a very late adopter of ebooks and really much prefer to have hard copy’s but I must say it is just so easy to use the kindle, I especially like the light options it has so I can read in bed without disturbing Jarrod with a bright backlit screen or noisy page turning. The one-click buy from Amazon has been quite dangerous though! To offset that I have been using BookBub which emails you with great deals every day.. for a while I was getting nothing but romance and historical romance but realised I could change the settings to things I like and have downloaded many free or cheap books through it.

Fitbit Flex – Add me as a friend!
I have been looking at Fitbit’s for a while but was a bit put off by them because of the price. Then Kya mentioned she had bought hers fairly cheaply so I decided to investigate a bit further. Although I didn’t particularly like the lack of documentation in the box I ended up working out what to do and have been wearing it every day since.
Initially, I bought it because I wanted to see if I was doing the recommended daily steps (I am! .. mostly) and see how it tracked sleep. I also try and keep up with my water intake on the app now too.. I’m not quite as good at keeping that up though. Originally I wore it in the shower but I kind a bit annoyed with water getting stuck under it so have started taking it off instead. As someone that doesn’t really wear any jewellery or watches or anything it took a bit to get used to something being on my wrist all the time, especially in bed because I have a tendency to sleep on my hand which ends up with a fitbit shaped imprint on my face. Other than that it’s been good to see how I progress.

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9 thoughts on “My Favourite Things – January 2016”

I keep meaning to buy a fitness tracker but there’s so many different ones out there, I don’t know which one to get for the best. Argh!

I found a brilliant website for free/cheap kindle books – kindofbook.com
Course, it means my kindle to-read shelf is nearly as big now as my physical one but… hey ho, not exactly a bad situation to be in!

I was just watching a Nexus 5X review last night! I’m envious of the Nexus devices getting updates as soon as they’re available. I’m still waiting for Marshamllow on my LG. :(

I already have an 8-inch tablet, but I was definitely tempted to get a Kindle when it went on sale last year. XD I read through the Kindle app on my tablet, so owning a separate e-reader would be overkill for me. The e-ink display sounds very appealing though.

Yay for a new phone! I am so tempted to get a new phone myself, but my current phone works all right, so I can’t justify getting a new one yet.

Woot for the Kindle Paperwhite. I love mine. I have the first generation version, and it’s still going strong. It’s one of the best tech devices I’ve invested in, and it’s something I could never give up :D I especially love how I can read in the dark — no more getting up to turn off my light when I’m approaching that sleep zone!

That’s great that you really like the phone! It’s amazing how advanced the cameras are getting with every new release. You see some really amazing shots. :D

Woo, that’s really cool about the Kindle. I really like eBooks now and pretty much buy them all the time (besides illustrated and quirky books). I was using the Amazon US site for ebooks, until the currency went poop and it ended up two times the price. :(

It’s good that you could get the Fitbit at a reduced price. I was hoping you would be able to get the same kind of deal or better, but I guess it varies from stores and stock. I never wore it in the shower, I was kind of scared it might get damaged even though they are waterproof haha. Like you, I don’t often wear jewellery all the time so that has been a challenge for me as well, and the sleeping at night was a bit weird at first. Weirdly, when I have it charging and not on, I feel so ‘naked’. xD

That’s funny because I have the Nexus 5 only, and I got it recently. Hahaha That’s good that you like the Nexus 5x. I’m glad you love it. It’s amazing how smaller and thinner these phones keep getting! I use tablet as a e-reader and that suits me fine, but that’s cool you got a Kindle Paper White.

I love getting new gadgets! I think setting them up is the most satisfying thing ever! Haha, yeah I’m weird!

I’ve not heard of the Nexus 5x or seen it but I have seen older Nexus phones and they do look pretty good. I’ve been itching to get a Kindle but I’ve been thinking that maybe I don’t use it as often as I would like to so it’d be a waste of money for me. :P

Ha, beware of the one-click buy! It’s especially dangerous if you’re reading a series of books because Amazon will always direct you to the next one. It is nice though that they provide you a way to unbuy the next book for a limited time though.

I’m always tempted to get a Kindle but haha I already have a Nexus tablet. How are you liking your Nexus 5x so far? I’m debating purchasing a Nexus phone as my next daily driver.